Futuremark today went live with 3DMark 11, its new benchmark for testing DirectX 11 hardware. To commemorate the release, Futuremark has also put up new trailers and has opened up the first official 3DMark 11 overclocking competition for enthusiasts.

3DMark from Futuremark is the preferred series of graphical benchmarks used by gamers and enthusiasts across the world for testing their DirectX hardware. With DirectX 11 making an appearance, Futuremark too has upgraded its popular utility to 3DMark 11 to keep up with trends. The new utility includes high-end, real-time graphics across six all new benchmark tests, something that has become the benchmark of Futuremark.

The new version marks the addition of several new features to 3DMark including a native DirectX 11 engine that makes extensive use of advanced real-time graphical effects such as tessellation, volumetric lighting, depth of field, and post processing. The new 3DMark is based on the open source Bullet Physics library and runs rigid body simulation on the CPU and soft body simulation on the GPU.

Futuremark has reintroduced demo mode with this version to bring together stunning graphics and evocative soundtrack using Pedro Macedo Camacho. An improved online service has also been launched to let users validate, store, share, and compare their benchmark results with other users. A big leap forward with 3DMark 11 is the introduction of languages – the utility now supports German, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, and Finnish.

As with previous versions, Futuremark has come through with three editions of 3DMark 11 – Basic, Advanced, and Professional. The Basic Edition is a free download without expiry or registration and gives users an unlimited number of benchmark runs using the performance preset.

Priced at $19.95, the Advanced Edition on the other hand comes with all presets, custom setting, and benchmark looping. Additionally it also offers unlimited online storage and offline results management. The only edition licensed for commercial use is the Professional Edition, which is fully powered with command line automation, image quality tool, logo-free demo looping, and priority support. The Professional Edition carries a price tag of $995.

To mark the release of the new 3DMark, Futuremark has also made live a number of new trailers, all of which have been recorded at high quality and show off the full capabilities of 3DMark 11. The new trailers can be viewed on the 3DMark website http://www.3dmark.com and on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/futuremarktv.

Last but not the least, Futuremark has also put lots of goodies up for grabs as part of the first ever official 3DMark 11 Launch OC Challenge. With $2000 in cash and hot hardware as prizes, the competition invites overclockers to try their hand at shooting for the highest score, best overclock, and best performance for the price. There is also a weekly lucky draw, so there are numerous ways to win. The competition runs all the way through to January 4, 2011. For more details of the competition and prizes please visit: http://www.3dmark.com/competitions/3dmark-11-oc-challenge.